HONG KONG (SE/KKP): “We hope that through the consultation for the Synod of Bishops, everyone among the faithful can feel that the Church wants to hear their voices,” said Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, chairperson of Diocesan Ad hoc committee for the 16th Synod of Bishops. The answers will help the local and the universal Church know the thoughts of people about the Church in Hong Kong.
In recent months, the task force has organised 15 briefings in parishes, church organisations and schools to explain the questionnaire and promote spiritual conversation as recommended by the preparatory document from the General Secretariat for the Synod. The task force has reached over 1,300 people.
As of mid-March, half of the replies came from parishes, while the rest were from Catholic schools. Bishop Ha said that as the life of the Church has been affected by the pandemic, the deadline to respond to the questionnaire will be extended from April 30 to May 15 so that the faithful can have more time to respond.
The committee plans to hold four reply sessions after Easter at which people will be able to fill in the questionnaire following an online talk with priests. Similar sessions will be held for teachers and pastoral workers in Catholic schools.
The questionnaire is a self-assessment tool for Church organisations to evaluate their situations and listen to each others’ views, the bishop explained. “Spiritual conversation can create a free atmosphere, allowing the faithful to listen to one another and to feel that they belong to the Church,” he said. The questionnaire leads participants to rediscover the importance of listening and become more sensitive to the needs of neglected people.
The diocese will compile a report of the responses and present the report’s main points at a later sharing session, which will be submitted to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops by August 15, before the end of the first phase of the synod.
Bishop Ha stressed that the spirit of synodality will continue in the local Church and will not stop after the consultation. He said that the report on the questionnaire is a “qualitative study” that systematically summarises the opinions collected, including those from the minority and will not focus only on mainstream views.
